The Cay is a children's novel

Children's literature

Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...

 written by Theodore Taylor

Theodore Taylor (author)

Theodore Taylor was an American author of more than 50 fiction and non-fiction books for young adult readers, including The Cay, The Weirdo , Ice Drift, Timothy of the Cay, The Bomb, Sniper, and Rogue...

. It was first published in 1969.

The Cay took only three weeks to complete. Taylor based the character of the boy in his book on a childhood playmate. The novel was published in 1969 and dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...

When World War II breaks out, Phillip Enright and his mother board the S.S. Hato to Miami because the mother feels it's unsafe to stay in Curacao.